Reducing stress one exhale at a time …exploring Southern California and beyond

Earth Angels

How often do we miss the little miracles all around us possibly too busy to pay close attention, but when illness or an accident occurs, our vision is suddenly heightened. And sometimes it is the goodness in others, from those who step forward to give comfort and aid in a time of need, which allows us to see things differently. I encountered one of these special people in one momentous circumstance. Let me tell you about my personal sighting of a special “Earth Angel.”

As I was making my short drive to sing in our church Christmas Eve service, I collided with another car when the driver, suddenly and unannounced, lurched in front of me. As his car pushed me deep into an irrigation ditch, it just as suddenly came rolling back creating a secondary and this time even more significant and injurious impact. Smash-Bam-Whomp—like a bad comic book, everything changed in that one moment. The initial head-on impact deployed the airbags and I had some level of protection. But the second did not, and as I felt my already totaled car smash against the rock wall, my twisted body was further bruised and broken.

With confusion and in much pain, I simply could not decode that the smoke filling the space was probably due to the airbag deployment and I was sure the car was on fire. I felt a rising panic as I could not breathe. Added to that, the car was so badly damaged that I also could not open any doors or windows. The degree of my injuries made it impossible to assist myself in any way.

Although the other driver did not attempt to help me, instead taking items out of his own car and walking away from me, my spirit calmed as someone else, someone as determined as I was came running to my car. To my eyes he was my angel. It even seemed he had a surrounding light with his blue baseball cap creating the effect of a halo! When he, too, couldn’t open a door he did all he could to calm me while at the same time heroically smashing rear seat windows. I did have significant injuries, but the desperation for fresh air provided just enough adrenaline to work with him to get that door lock open!

Like pure spring water from a blessed well the first breaths of air came washing onto my grateful face. I tried to thank him as he comforted me with a few short responses to my anxious questioning, mainly assuring me that my car was not on fire. He then stayed with me just long enough for the first fire unit to arrive, and then as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. I hope he experienced the peace and Christmas joy he deserved, and knew he was indeed my “Earth Angel.”

Many of us observe the goodness of others, experiencing acts of kindness gifted just because “goodness” is needed in a particular situation. Earth Angels don’t wait for praise or expect reward. They often live their lives without even knowing they were heroes to someone else. But I do believe that consideration and compassion ripples effects outward in circles that allow hope and kindness to affect an even wider span of influence.

As a new week begins maybe the story of my experience will encourage you to tune in just a little more attentively to the opportunities all around us to be Earth Angels to others. You never know what a blessing of support you might be during another person’s extraordinary moment. Or perhaps now is the time to thank someone who has been a special encouragement to you–your own Earth Angel.

Post navigation

4 thoughts on “Earth Angels”

My goodness, what a story! Surely an angel of some sort did come to your aid — after all, angels too must “take care of their own.” I also hope your injuries have gotten better over the last 7 months and that you are not in too much pain at this time, my dear Bodhisattva.

Thank you, Kind Kathryn! Yes, many ‘angels of some sort’ are about us- and this crash has taught me many things! Who knew that airbags smelled like a fire -burning? A friend of mine who works for Highway Patrol told me afterwards that yes indeed officers and fire staff often will have that same sensation, raw throat, asthma-like symptoms, or worse they think a gun has been fired!